Hi, I have a bit of a problem with my Ute that I recently discovered after connecting my wideband.

I have a 2001 AU XR8 200kW Auto (Daily work Ute) with extra 3" hole in bottom of airbox, hi flow panel filter, ported lower explorer manifold, scorpion 1.72 rockers, stock headers with high flow cats and then twin 2.5" exhaust through two 2.5" resonators and a single twin 2.5" lukey muffler at rear.

I just installed a innovate mtx-l wideband kit and the car runs really well on part throttle with AFR around 15.5-14. When I start getting my boot into it to about 60/70% throttle the AFRs will go down to 13/12. When I'm giving it more, they will drop to 11/10 and there is a noticeable amount of lack of power compared to 3/4 throttle. I thought it would run leaner from the mods I've done so is there something that stands out that has failed or is this a tuning issue? I have done everything from MAF, o2 sensors, injectors, cam sync - pretty much all sensors have been done in the past year.

I've bought a J3 tuning package from site sponsor TI Performance, and I have asked them this question also but I thought I'd post it here also just in case someone has come across it before. I asked a local tuner and they said the fords run rich from factory, but I'm sure they don't run 10:1 rich.

They will run rich, but the fact is you have made mods that have probably changed the airflow parameters and it will need a re-tune. In front of the MAF and just behind it can change the airflow into the MAF quite easily and alter it's readings.

They do run as bad as 10-1 from the factory,its a very safe tune that never gets lean under load to suit rubbish fuel.

Cool thanks for confirming the AFRs as it has a lower level I'm really happy with and then when I get my boot into it she just starts running crap and since installing the wideband I haven't even wanted to drive it because I know it will go so much better once the problem is sorted. I have my ti performance device coming any day now so I'll mess with the maf parameters initially and hopefully I can see some nice gains.

Do you guys know anyone that will tune a j3 chip in Perth? I spoke with a workshop and they really bagged out tuning via J3 and said I needed a $1200 sniper obd2 package. It seems that and sct are the preferred tuning methods from the places I've been to. I guess the tuning on the fly makes life 100 times easier. I will endeavour to tinker and learn but if it's an hour on a dyno with a tuner who will just adjust maf parameters to fix my problem then a couple hundred dollars is worth it. Currently getting 400kms from 70L fuel. My 03 lancer 1.8 runaround car gets exactly half that usage (with more wheel spin lol)

Nobody tunes ti performance chips in perth,not to my knowledge anyhow.
Streetbuilt use quarterhorse,bpt use sniper, don't even think anybody else can tune an au via a j3,xft can tune an au by flash tuner I think,all perth tuners talk crap about each other and each others tuning methods,just how it is.
If there was a tuning strategy for au falcon using hp tuners id get dark horse performance to do my au xr8,heard no bad things about that place so far,tunes are only $750 too.

Ok so it's destiny then... I am forced to learn something new lol I bought it for future mods anyway. I'm sure some workshop would hire their dyno and tuner out hourly though somewhere. I am regretting not getting an obd2 tuner though but doesn't matter because I'm sure it's within my learning capacity to get my car where I want it to be.

Moates 1/4 horse is the go. AU's do run very rich @ WOT from the factory. So you can pick up heaps of power by leaning them out.